Dragonrider Short Story
by Zeng Xiao Long Sunstar Crystal
Summary: Three Dragonriders and their dragons are looking back on what has happened to their lives and fellow riders. On Hold for Now!
1. Chapter 1

**A Short Dragonrider Story**

**By Sketch1981**

**I do not own any rights to the dragonrider stories by Anne McCaffrey, the 6 main characters are my own, all others are background players for this story line. This is supposed to take place around the time of the end of "All The Weyrs". I also would like to say that this Story couldn't have happened with out the help from my good friend 'Wolfman' and my sister in England who goes by the handle 'Dragonrider'.**

**Chapter 1**

**M'thew and his Dragon Cymruth are visiting Benden Weyr to see if Telgar Weyr is required to fly Thread Fall with Benden the next day.**

**As he walks in to Aurisalth's Weyr, Freya is chatting with Kaylessa of Igen Weyr about the Thread Fall over Igen and it's surrounding holds and also the loss of a young Dragon and his rider.**

**"Well Come Bronze rider and how is your Dragon holding up?" asked Freya when she glanced up to see M'thew walk in bowing to Aurisalth, before he could say anything.**

**"Like he always does when there isn't a cloud in the sky, always wanting to stretch his wings..." says M'thew sighing heavily, "...not that I mind of course!"**

**Then all talk turns to the ever dangerous fighting of Thread.**

**" So how was Thread Fall over Igen, Kaylessa?" asked Freya**

**"We had two major scorings, several minor and unfortunately one fatality!" replied Kaylessa, a little shaken up over what happened.**

**"Who was the fatality?" asked Freya carefully.**

**"A young Blue Dragon and his rider, thier first Fall, a clump fell awkwardly, and then the two went between and never returned to either Fall or the Weyr!" Kaylessa said trying not to cry and upset Mynerth.**

**"My sympathies to the Weyr!" replied M'thew gently, Cymruth rumbled in agreement.**

**"So that's why the Dragons at Benden were keening, Aurisalth wouldn't tell me who, which is unusual for her!" said Freya, a look of concern on her face.**

**"I am sure that his family will appriciate knowing that even Benden Weyr felt his death; he was a local holder's second son, being drilled in hold management till he was Searched!" replied Kaylessa.**

**"It is always hard for those who hold near the Weyrs when Dragons go between forever, as they always hear their keening!" mentioned Freya, who then added, "We aren't due to fight Thread till tomorrow afternoon, the women in the Lower Caverns were making up large quantities of Numbweed again, which always makes the food taste medicinal more than anything, I just had to get out of Benden for the day, and since Aurisalth needed to hunt today anyway I made the most of the escape!"**

**"Yes," said Kaylessa, "D'zan will be sorely missed by all, particularly the young Green and her rider that they Weyred with!"**

**"D'zan's Weyr mate must be very distraught right now, huh!" said M'thew in a caring tone.**

**"Best to keep the Weyr busy when a Dragon and rider go between like that!" remarked Freya.**

**"More than just busy in my opinion," said M'thew, "too much greif tends to be counter-productive!"**

**"Very true there, M'thew!" replied Freya, whilst Kaylessa nodded her head in agreement and then remarked: "Well he pretty much stayed in his Weyr the whole day today, but our headwoman has been trying to get him to eat something, hopefully he has by now!"**

**By this point Freya went to the call shaft to the one side of the Chamber and called down for food and Klah, before she tactfully changed the subject to a happier theme.**

**"Hopefully Felicia will stand at the next Benden Hatching!", said Freya inbetween moving dishes and the jug of Klah and mugs that had arrived for them.**

**"Good Luck to her!" replied M'thew, "which reminds me how many hopefuls are there going to be against the number of hatchlings this time around?"**

**Freya gives them the infornation that most of the Weyr folk are betting on: "Ramoth is expeted to lay at least 35 eggs and another Queen after this next mating flight!, a good mating flight will boost the moral of any Weyr after a tragidy!"**

**"Great!, a Queen for someone who already believes she is one!" said M'thew.**

**All Freya could do was reply: "Like rider, like Dragon."**

**"Sooo very true, but one could wish!" replied M'thew, a huge grin on his face.**

**Aurisalth and Mynerth rumbled a laugh to their riders saying: "That's good, he is very funny!"**

**Kaylessa starts to remark about the size of the recent clutches at Igen Weyr. "We haven't had a clutch over the mid-20's for the past three hatchings now, but when the old Queen goes, the new Queen will produce better sized clutches for us Hopefully!"**

**"Hopefully Aurisalth rises to mate soon!" and then Freya adds, " Will you do an 'Open Mating Flight' to the younger Bronzes?, that way you will get a better leader and freash blood in the newer dragons from the resulting clutches and larger clutches at that!", then she added, " After what happened with Kylara losing her Queen because she didn't pay attention to her Dragons change in color, she caused poor Breke to lose her young Queen too, and it was Breke's first mating flight, Kylara should have known better but she was spiteful and even her Queen was starting to get fed up with her according to Aurisalth who talked to her."**

**Kaylessa mused over the thought and replied carefully, "Possibly, probably like when D'ram stood down as Weyr Leader and G'dened took over as acting Weyr Leader untill the next Senior Queen rose to Mate, only this time without the problems of the Oldtimers!"**

**"That would be beneficial as the younger Bronzes have more stamina to last a good high, long mating flight with the newer Queens, who are bigger and faster than the oldtimer Queens were!" replied Freya.**

**Kaylessa looked at M'thew and said, "Well, whatever happens, I shall make sure Mynerth is out on patrols to Landing that day, I'll be safer at Monaco Bay than at Igen."**

**"Benden thanks the Oldtimers for coming forward 400 turns, but they really were pushing for trouble when they stole Ramoths Queen egg!", replied Freya.**

**"Well Ruth returned it, the cleaver little darling!, he scuppered their plans!" said Kaylessa.**

**As this is being said M'thew and his Bronze Cymruth are listening to the conversation with great interest as to the happenings in each Weyr.**

**"True, same heren when Ramoth rises, still not many people know that it was Ruth and Jaxom that returned the Queen egg, but it had to have been them as they are the only ones small enough to get in and out without being detected. Especially with Ruth boasting that he always knows where and when in time he is so it had to have been them, and the people who returned the egg would have to have rather extensive knowledge of the Benden Hatching Grounds to pull it off too. And to think that Lessa was willing to set Dragon-on-Dragon to get the egg back scares me even now!!" remarked Freya.**

**"Now there is a Dangerous precident to be setting!" replied M'thew as Cymruth rumbled his agreement.**

**"Well enough of the Harper Hall know that it was Jaxom and Ruth who returned the egg, and also Toric of Southern know now too." remarked Kaylessa.**

**"Toric was really upset about the egg being found and returned from the Oldtimers, he was so angry when he found out that it was Jaxom!, anyway at least we have finally moved the Red Star, and that there are only 13 more Turns till the end of Thread forever!!" cheered Freya as Aurisalth bugeled in a happy tone that reverbarated around the Weyr.**

**"Yes, then life will be boring again and some will be wishing for something to do since there will be 'NO MORE THREAD'" he said happily, then he added "Maybe I'll take flights around all the Weyrs to keep current with Topography and things of that sort!"**

**"That is the reason for so many people taking up new trades, such as Astronomy, Glassmaking, Printing, and others. It also doesn't hurt to fly around on Patrols to keep up to date on new local holders and any complaints they may have!" said Freya, then she went on saying, "Four of our Benden Riders were stopped from collecting possible candidates for the last Hatching we had, until they mentioned that they were from Benden Weyr!, have any of you had that Problem?"**

**"Not to my knowledge, but then I'm not in that loop yet!" replied M'thew rather sulkily.**

**"Nope, most Igen Holders actually want their children to become riders so that they can learn responsibility and can then have no reason for not coming home from Landing and such!, It has also stopped quite a few Blood quarrels too!" mentioned Kaylessa.**

**"Very true, I hope Anthony will Impress when he gets the chance, if not a Bronze then perhaps either a Brown or a Blue!" said Freya**

**"Ahhh kids, sometimes I want them and other times I want nothing to do with them! replied M'thew.**

**"He'll Impress either a Bronze or a Brown, I'd say he's too much of a tough lad to Impress a meer Blue!" said Kaylessa with some certainty.**

**"I wouldn't mind him Impressing a Brown, especially if they turn out like F'nor did with Canth!", then adding, " especially since Canth is the largest Brown on all Pern!" replied Freya.**

**"Ahhhh!!!" said M'thew.**

**"Canth maybe the largest Brown on all Pern, but Ruth is the cutest!! said Kaylessa, and then added," for a White Dragon that is!!"**

**"Oh good grief!" said M'thew.**

**"What now??" said Freya.**

**Both Cymruth and Aurisalth rumbled to their riders that, "What does it matter how cute or ugly someone is, so long as they are healthy!"**

**Freya passed on the information to Kaylessa who in short turned around and said, "Well Ruth is adorable, and smart, for all he will never be the size of all the other Dragons!!"**

**"The Aivas said that Ruth is about the size of the original 16 Dragons that were Bioengineered by the Ancients!" said Freya.**

**"I know, like Faranth and the others!" said Kaylessa.**

**"By the way does anyone have a Benden White '30 Vintage?, F'lar has been asking everyone he knows about getting a wineskin of it and it is driving Lessa crazy!" mentioned Freya, and then went on to say," I guess F'lar is doing it because he knows that the '30 Vintage was Master Robintons favorite, and he is trying to cheer up Lessa, because everytime someone mentions the old MasterHarpers name in her pressence she bursts into tears!"**

**"Best Igen can do is those rather 'Foxey' Tillek Wines!" said Kaylessa, somewhat subdued.**

**"I don't know, haven't look around!" said M'thew, but then added, "maybe I should find out if there is any of the Mead we make back home still around in the Weyr!"**

**"True that would be a great idea, remind me to send one of our Blue riders to you both with some good Benden White and a few skins of the Benden Red too!" suggested Freya.**

**Then the conversation changed to the topic of the Harper Hall.**

**"Well I met MasterHarper Sebell the other day at Landing, he said that the Harper Hall just isn't the same without Robinton's booming voice echoing down the corridors!" said Kaylessa sadly.**

**"Well here is a quote I heard not too long ago: 'Ours not to ponder what were fair in Life, But, finding what maybe, Make it fair upto our means.'" said M'thew.**

**"Where did you hear that from, M'thew?" asked Freya kindly.**

**"Where else but from Master Menolly herself!" replied M'thew.**

**"Her young Robse is so charming!, but then with parents like Master Menolly and MasterHarper Sebell, who'd expect anything less!" said Kaylessa.**

**"And very talanted too, just the other day we were dropping off some of the Weyrbred children who showed musical prowess and he came running down the steps and running up to us as fast as he could, and all he wanted to do was play us some complex tune that he 'tought up'd just a while ago!', in his own words!" said Freya and then she added, "everyone couldn't help laughing at him and told him to go ahead and play his tune for the Dragons."**

**"Oh, so just like Robinton then huh?" replied Kaylessa.**

**"Uh huh!, so much so like the old MasterHarper himself, who knows maybe he will be the next one!" said Freya.**

**"Every chance of that happening!" said M'thew.**

**"Did you know that he can talk to the Dragons and that they answer him too?" remarked Freya.**

**"He has a nice voice and he plays good music so of course we're going to listen and talk to him, his music is rather relaxing!" replied Aurisalth to her rider and the others all laughed at her remark once Freya had told them between giggles.**

**Aurisalth then changes the subject quickly to those Dragons who are apparently slower than her!**

**"He is just a Bronze, and most Bronzes can't keep up with me or Ramoth, we are stronger and faster!" said Aurisalth smuggly.**

**Freya replied to Aurisalth so that everyone in their quarters could hear, "Now be nice about him, He is new to all this and needs a little encouragement!, Don't berate a Bronze who could fly you as easily as Mnementh flies Ramoth, if he wanted too!"**

**"Yep that is our life, fighting Thread, going out on patrols and taking part in a mating flight every now and again!" responded M'thew, who then added "We wouldn't want it any other way huh Cymruth?"**

**Cymruth rumbeled and nodded his head in agreement.**

**"Lessa pretty much insisted that herself and Ramoth taught the new Queens how to fly properly, unlike when she was a weyrling, and she had to find out from F'lar and Mnementh!" said Freya.**

**"And R'gul, Ugh!!!, now there was an annoying Weyrleader!" said Kaylessa scathingly.**

**"He was a problem when it came down to Jora, she let Nemorth gorge herself uncontrolably, and especially during the mating flight, she was so overweight they had to push her out of her Weyr to get her to fly!" said Freya with disgust.**

**"Jora was a problem, because she had a awful fear of heights and flying, how she ever Impressed a Queen I'll never know, but imagine a Queen rider afraid of heights!" said Kaylessa with a hint of sarcasm.**

**"Now there is something you don't hear every day!" said M'thew who then added, "Nope, an annoying leader was my Pop, 'Keep your head out of the sky and just accept the fact that you're a brewer and one of the best!', Ha, and hear we are now together me and Cymruth!"**

**"Well I came from a Fishercraft hall and all I got each day was, 'Watch the weather, don't tangle the nets, don't drop the catch, help unload the boats and then gut and salt the catch. You'll never get choosen to go to the Weyr so quit your daydreaming!' now look at me riding a Queen Dragon for Benden!", then she adds, "I was so glad to get away from the stench and the never-ending Packtails to be gutted, salted and cramed into a barrel for storage."**

**"I bet you were, sounds about as normal a life as mine was!" replied M'thew.**

**"I was very lucky as Master Menolly came from the same hold I did!" remarked Freya.**

**"Oh you mean Half Circle Sea Hold?" asked Kaylessa.**

**"uh huh! and lucky for us her Mother and Father are no longer around, they hated her singing and everyone else enjoyed it." came the reply from Freya.**

**"Well if I'm right, Alemi was the only sibling who liked her singing and Readis the Journeyman Harper was going to send her to the Harper Hall anyway because of her abilities!" said Kaylessa.**

**"Wasn't it Readis and Alemi who started up the communications with the Dolphins?" asked M'thew.**

**"Yes it was, I remember for the longest time they were refered to as 'Shipfish'!, but that life seems so far away now. I don't know what I would do without Aurisalth?" said Freya.**

**"I don't know," said M'thew, "probably still mending nets and salting fish!"**

**"You mean getting cut by Packtails, dying of bordom, probably married to some out-of-the-way holder!" replied Freya with distaste at the memory.**

**"Hey, be nice to the out-of-the-way holders!" said M'thew roughly.**

**"Sorry!, but not the guy my folks wanted me to marry, he was fat, drunk,and slapped women hard enough to leave bruises for no reason." replied Freya rather staunchly and then continued, "I don't have anything against out-of-the-way holders in general, unless they're like the guy I was supposed to marry!"**

**"I wasn't acceptable to any holder near or far, when I got Searched my parents were happy for me to go!" said Kaylessa and continuing she said, "the only thing I was good with were the herbs and stuff, so they were going to send me to the Healer Hall, but you don't ignore Search!"**

**"Not without being rude to the Dragonriders who are doing the Search, I was really lucky the day I was Searched as it was F'nor-Canth and a couple of Blue Riders who came. My Folks said no, but I was of age and I left anyway!" remembered Freya.**

**"That was a most memorable day, and one for which I am glad!" runbled Aurisalth to her rider.**

**"Me too, dear heart, and I wouldn't change it for all the gems in the mines!" replied Freya.**

**"My hold was down by Keroon; a little plains hold." mentioned Kaylessa.**

**"Ah, near to the Beast holds?, Moreta was from Keroon wasn't she? said M'thew.**

**"Yes I know, but I was no good with the Beasts, the Herbs and plants were my thing!" replied Kaylessa**

**"Well, since Benden is ahead of Igen by several hours, what are your duties for tomorrow?" asked Freya**

**" just running some holder over to Landing, gathering more numbweed and fellis for the Thread Fall. You know the usual minor stuff always assigned to us Green riders!" said Kaylessa**

**"Well since I'm in charge of a group of Older Weyrlings that are to go to the school at Landing tomorrow, I will take my leave of you both. I may see you at Landing then Kaylessa!" said M'thew**

**"Please let your Weyrleader know that Telgar Weyr is required for Thread Fall as some of our riders are on the long term recovery from the last Fall we had." said Freya politely.**

**"I will see that it is brought to his attention as soon as we get back to Telgar and report our findings on the holdless roaming the area, Cymruth and I will take our leave of you ladies, Good night!" replied M'thew.**

**"Good night M'thew, Good night Cymruth!" replied Freya and Kaylessa together.**

**M'thew leaves with Cymruth and the conversation changes to the attack at Honshu.**

**"Manora has offered to watch the children for me as I have to go to Ruatha to talk to Lord Jaxom about the new Observatory that is to be built up by Ice Lake above the Hold by Master Wansor!" said Freya who then added, "Lessa has been busy with the Records and also worrying over F'lessan's recovery!"**

**"Recovery!, was he badly hurt or ill?" asked Kaylessa looking worried.**

**"A large pack of Felines attacked him and Golanth as well as a Monaco Bay Green and her rider. It is still touch and go for Golanth since his one eye is not looking too good right now, he may loose it, but everyone is hoping that they make it, Lessa will be heartbroken if F'lessan passes along with his Dragon." said Freya.**

**"Oh yes, now I remember, they were at Honshu Weyrhold weren't they?" said Kaylessa.**

**"Uh huh, and I got a nice pelt from one of the riders there, since we went to help!" repied Freya.**

**"Tai-Zaranth?, are they alright?" asked Kaylessa.**

**"Yeah, she gave me the pelt, said it was for helping move Zaranth to the ledge so she could soothe Golanth's pain and hers." replied Freya who then added, "did you know that the dolphins refer to F'lessan and Golanth as 'Golly and Fless'?"**

**"No, but one I met down at Monaco Bay last sevenday called Mynerth 'Minny'!" said Kaylessa**

**"That's funny, they refer to me and Aurisalth as 'Frey and Sally'!" said Freya, laughing hard.**

**"I get called 'Kay' or 'Less' and that depends on the dolphin!" replied Kaylessa.**

**"Well Afri and Dani are two of the most helpful dolphins at Monaco Bay, they do love to think of us as a new sort of game to play with!" said Freya smiling slighty.**

**"I've met Dani but not Afri!" said Kaylessa.**

**"Afri is the Pod Leader of the Monaco Bay dolphins" said Freya.**

**"Ahh, alright!, sorry I'm a little tired." said Kaylessa yawning.**

**"It's alright, I've got to check in with the Watch Dragon and his rider before I wash my hair and head off to bed, early get up tomorrow!" said Freya, trying to stiffle a yawn.**

**"Well, Mynerth and I will take our leave and will see you tomorrow at Landing if you can make it!" replied Kaylessa and then she added, "Good Night Weyrwoman!, Good Night Aurisalth!" bowing to the large Queen as she turned to leave.**

Will update as soon as Chapter 2 is done. Please R&R, your feedbacks are welcome.


	2. Chapter 2

**Dragonrider Short Story**

**Chapter 2**

**Once again I do not own "Dragonriders of Pern", they belong to Anne McCaffrey; but I do own my own Characters and the plot line. **

**Also once again I give many thanks to 'Wolfman' and my sister 'Dragonrider' for their help with this story, without which this could never have happened.**

**Thread Fall over Benden Hold, Half Circle Sea Hold, Keroon and Narat.**

**All the available wings that Telgar and Igen and Benden Weyrs could produce fought Thread. **

**"This Fall was shorter than the last!" mentioned Aurisalth to her rider. The Fall had lasted only just over an hour and twenty five minutes.**

**"I agree", said Freya, "and it was clumping and swirling wrong", which she said to herself meant Thread-scored Dragons and their riders. Yet again she was going to have some terse words to say to the young Brown rider whose Dragon had taken Thread on his wingtip and tail, and then there was that Old Blue rider who got a clump of thread to his face, his Dragon had quickly taken them between and back to the Weyr so Aurisalth had mentioned.**

**Then Aurisalth said "that in total this Fall both Benden and Telgar Weyrs had a combined number of 28 casulties, mostley minor scorings, but at least four Dragons with damaged wings and six riders with dislocated shoulders."**

**"Shoulders means bad flying" said Freya, "well lets head on down to the groundcrews and hope that all is well down there. We still cannot afford any strand of Thread to fall upon the lush ground or even up in the lower mountains, especially with the mild temeratures we've been having," she shuddered at the thought of what just one single Thread could do to all the lush growth below her.**

**Aurisalth then cut through her riders thought by saying that Bronze Cymruth was asking if they were needed to talk to the groundcrews as well or could he go?**

**Freya told her Dragon to relay that the groundcrews were the responability of the Queen riders, but to thank him for asking and that he should go and get his cheek looked at as he had obviously had a rather close encounter with some wind blowen char, which came from not ducking quickly enough when his Dragon flamed.**

**M'thew recieved the message from Cymruth that Freya had him relay to his rider, so grinning, he waved a jolly farewell and then gave Cymruth the vision of a sunny Igen Weyr and Kaylessa bathing a rather happy Mynerth in the sea by the Weyr, since he knew that was where she was going to be when they weren't fighting Thread. Cymruth rumbled happily that a good swim and a scrub to get rid of the stench of Firestone would be a good idea before he was required to transport some of the Lord Holders to Landing for a meeting that was supposed to be happening late into the evening, it also meant that M'thew could gather some of the large and juicy Red fruits that grew in Southern and a bag of the nuts and berries too to his folks at their hold and then he could catch up on any news he may have missed that they couldn't send in the letters he got once a month, since his folks decided to use the Traders Caravan for their letters when they travelled through and up to the Weyr to deliver supplies. His Pa had told him that it saved on the Runners feet by saving them the run up the steep, rocky and uneven ground up to the Weyr. It also meant that the Runners were then free to run messages of importance for the Healer, Harper and Smithcraft Halls, especially when the weather was bad and they couldn't use the Big Drums.**

**After Fall**

**M'thew recieved the message from Cymruth that Freya had him relay to his rider, so grinning, he waved a jolly farewell and then gave Cymruth the vision of a sunny Igen Weyr and Kaylessa bathing a rather happy Mynerth in the sea by the Weyr, since he knew that was where she was going to be when they weren't fighting Thread. Cymruth rumbled happily "that a good swim and a scrub to get rid of the stench of Firestone would be a good idea before he was required to transport some of the Lord Holders to Landing for a meeting that was supposed to be happening late into the evening, it also meant that M'thew could gather some of the large and juicy Red fruits that grew in Southern and a bag of the nuts and berries too to his folks at their hold and then he could catch up on any news he may have missed that they couldn't send in the letters he got once a month", M'thew remembered that his folks decided to use the Traders Caravan for their letters when they travelled through and up to the Weyr to deliver supplies. His Pa had told him that it saved on the Runners feet by saving them the run up the steep, rocky and uneven ground up to the Weyr. It also meant that the Runners were then free to run messages of importance for the Healer, Harper and Smithcraft Halls, especially when the weather was bad and they couldn't use the Big Drums.**

**The flight South was for the most part quiet and uneventful the worst part being the bit of turbulence that bounced the rider and dragon across the sky for half an hour or so. M'thew gave Cymruth his head in the flight both knew where they were going and would get there before too long the only guidance given was that Cymruth was to have fun and fly as he willed and not to stress himself unduly.**

**A few hours later a small mass of land became visable and the two companions made their way toward the land mass M'thew gave Cymruth the vision of Kaylessa bathing a rather happy Mynerth in the sea by the Weyr again and told him to start looking to see if they were around anywhere. As it turned out both Kaylessa and Mynerth were on the beaches however both were enjoying a good frollicking in the water. With a hearty laugh M'thew gave Cymruth a image of them diving toward the ocean close to Kaylessa, and Mynerth and pulling up a few feet above the surface of the water then carefully easing into the sea water. Cymruth's only answer was to pull in his wings and dive for the water.**

**Everything turned out perfectly for the little stunt except for the fact that they were discovered well before they wanted to be and they had the shock of finding the joke turned on them, when Cymruth pulled out of the dive both Kaylessa and Mynerth were a good distance away and laughing at the antics of the bronze and his rider.**

**"Ah well Cymruth, sometimes you just can't win, how 'bout a swim?" M'thew said as he guided his mount toward the beach to remove his saddle and the both of them could hit the salty ocean water for some fun relaxation. Once the saddle was off both rider and dragon splashed into the warm waters, M'thew proceeded to see to Cymruths scrubbing down and inspection to make sure nothing was wrong with his partner, finding nothing M'thew decided the best course of action would be to just enjoy the time at the beach and find Kaylessa and see if he couldn't find something enjoyable to do at the beach.**

**Turning around he came face to tackle with Kaylessa and was introduced to the underside of the water. After breaking through the surface M'thew found a smiling Kaylessa. **

**"Well I guess I deserved that after the diving stunt!, but it's good to see you again." **

**Kaylessa kept her smile in place, "Well the dive would have turned out beter if you hadn't done it while we were looking toward the sky trying to find out who was diving down on us like a madman chasing a clump of thread, your insane M'thew!"" **

**Sensing that it would be wise to let the current line of conversation drop M'thew decided to bring up another topic that would not result in further ribbing. "Say you wouldn't know where to find some good fruit and perchance some nuts?" "Just enjoy the beach for a little w while you have had a long flight and it looks like the both of you need some relaxation. There will be plenty of time for gathering foodstuffs later." With that all four went back to swimming and just enjoying the afternoon.**

**A few hours later M'thew groaned and looked to Kaylessa "I hate to bring it up but I don't have much time left before I have to get back to Benden to play transporter to some Lord Holder…" "Well then lets go and gather some fruit I know where some good places are lets saddle up and its just a short flight away, hope you can keep up!" Smirking Kaylessa ran for her dragon and began saddling her Mynerth. M'thew called for Cymruth and saddled him and looked to the sky to find Kaylessa and Mynerth already airborne and waiting. Jumping into his saddle they took to the sky.**

**True to her words the flight to the grove of trees was a short flight when the touched down M'thew found that the trees supported an abundance of the red fruit. Whopping in excitement M'thew hit the ground and pulled some bags out of his saddlebags and looked around to find which tree would be easiest to climb, finding one he set off. "Not that one they aren't fully ripe three trees to your left!", called out a laughing Kaylessa "My thanks"", M'thew called back and bounded toward the indicated tree and then was in it and picking fruit like a kid in a candy sotre. "Slow down M'thew, the fruit isn't going anywhere!" Kaylessa said in a exasperated voice.**

** "That may be true but way up North we don't get too many of these and I wanted to bring my folks some." M'thew stopped for a little while to look around and truly see what he was standing among, the grove of trees streached twenty or so trees to his left and about forty to his right and the island was rising behind him and the ocean was roughly in front of him. **

**"It really is different than the snowy reaches of where I grew up but it does have its own appeal I just don't think I could live without the snow to tell me I'm home." Looking into the bag M'thew found that he couldn't fill it anymore and it was time to head off and get back to Benden it was only a few hours till he had escort duty to some Lord Holder. "Kaylessa I have enjoyed these few hours, but I have to be heading back soon however I would like to come back if that would meet with your approval." **

**Taken aback Kaylessa wordlessly nodded waved and gave a hurried, "Safe flight, I would like to see you here again." Nodding and waving M'thew secured his bag of red fruit, saddled up and took to the air heading toward Benden. In retrospect the flight back was the same amount of time as the flight down but somehow it seemed longer and M'thew found himself planning for the next trip to the Southren Island.**

**Landing at Benden M'thew once again cared for Cymruth taking off the saddle and then giving his mount a good rub down finding himself a bit tired he hopped that he had time for a short rest.**

**To be continued...**


	3. Chapter 3

**Dragonrider Short Story**

**Chapter 3**

**Once again I do not own "Dragonriders of Pern", they belong to Anne McCaffrey; but I do own my own Characters and the plot line. **

**Also once again I give many thanks to 'Wolfman' and my sister 'Dragonrider' for their help with this story, without which this could never have happened.**

**A/N: Thankyou to Rimmersworld who reviewed Chapter 1 for me, your response was gratifying for myself and Wolfman.**

**Back at Benden Weyr**

**The Brown rider whose Dragon had Threadscored his wingtip and tail were sat on the floor of Benden Weyr, the young Dragon keening in agony and his rider trying to comfort him as best he could, considering the shock of the scoring on his lifemate and friend, but also from the pain his own scorings were causing him, though relatively minor compared to his Dragons. Freya had Aurisalth land her close to him so she could get a really good look at his injuries.**

**"Please, Aurisalth, tell him that he has to keep his tail still for me to look it over and then I can mend it and stop it from hurting so much." asked Freya.**

**"I will", said her Dragon in a caring tone**

**"It's going to be alright Haeleth!", said the Brown rider tears streaming down his face as he felt the pain of his Dragon and his own wounds.**

**Freya was about to tell him that Haeleth was very lucky that all he got was a minor scoring on both tail and wingtip and that they would heal in three sevendays and then he would be able to fly again, when the Headwoman of the Lower Caverns, Manora arrived with a large mug of mulled wine fortified with Fellis and Numbweed and told him to drink it all down. Haeleth's rider drank down the mulled wine concoction and promtly slumped and fell into a deep sleep, all the while Haeleth was getting his wingtip and tail coated with a thick layer of Numbweed which eased his pain emensly.**

**"Help move Haeleth's rider to one of the lower level Weyrs on the left side of the Bowl, and have two Blue Dragons help move Haeleth himself since his wing must stay out of the sand to heal correctly." said Freya.**

**Then Freya and Aurisalth moved over to the Older Blue Rider and his Dragon.**

**"Sp'trith, you are very lucky that your Dragon knew where to bring you!" said Freya looking at the Blue Riders face trying to accertain how bad the Thread wound was.**

**Manora joined them just as Freya was asking the Weyr Healer if the Blue Rider understood what was being said to him. **

**"No, I'm sorry Queenrider, I have to say that he don't, he is dosed up real good on Fellis Juice and his wound as you can see is slathered in Numbweed, we dosed him with the Fellis to stop his Blue from worrying so much." said the old Healer.**

**"That's alright Healer Ellsworth, it is better that he is all dosed up, that way F'lar won't be able to chew him out over the fact that both Aurisalth and Ramoth told Sp'trith's Blue not to fly this Fall, as he was too old and almost toothless so that he wouldn't be able to chew Firestone properly." replied Freya.**

**"But you know as well as I do that it can sometimes be difficult for an elderly rider and Dragon to stay in the Weyr during a Fall!" said Manora and then she added quietly, "He may not survive the wound and then that would mean another loss of rider and Dragon due to wounds."**

**"Manora here has some extra warm blankets for the old rider and we should place him in one of the lower weyrs on the left side of the Weyr bowl."said the Healer.**

**"Alright then let's move Sp'trith to the lower weyr and have his Blue meet us there after he has eaten a few of the Heardbeasts. Ok on the count of three: One, Two, Three and lift!" said Freya.**

**They manovered rather slowly across the bowl of the Weyr to the vacant weyr and got Sp'trith settled and a while later his weyrmate returned to watch over him.**

**"I am famished", said Freya to her Dragon as she walked across the Weyr to their own quaters all the while noticing how late it had gotten.**

**"Yes you a very much hungry" replied Aurisalth, who then added, "you may want to wash first to get the numbweed and blood off of you, then I will fly you back down to the lower caverns so that you can fill you belly and then I can go and catch some of the beasts in the pens at the far end of the Weyr."**

**"You do need to eat dearheart, you are nearly Bronze more than Gold from going 'between' so much today", came the response from her rider. **

**"I will as soon as you eat something, I don't know why you have to eat three times a day when I only eat every three days!" replied the Dragon, and Freya knew that there was no winning of this conversation, so she got up to their weyr and Freya stripped off her dirty clothes that she had had on during Fall and then helping with the injured, as she walked across her chamber to the bathing area where she hoped to take a long relaxing soak and wash her hair clean of the sweat that had accumulated under her riding helmet.**

**As she was relaxing she let her mind wander as to what M'thew and Bronze Cymruth had done after their day of fighting Thread, especially when it was an awkward Fall!, then she remembered that she was to convey a couple of the Lord Holders to the meeting at Landing in the Southern Continant, which she then realised was dur to start in less than an hour. She groaned at the thought of having to 'Time it' to get them there on time. So she got herself ready and roused a dozing Aurisalth who had eaten lightly and was sunning herself on the ledge of their weyr.**

**"Time to collect our good Lord Holder and then the Lord Holders of Lemos and Bitra and then convey them to Landing." said Freya.**

**"It is sunny at Landing and there will be others there to talk to." replied Aurisalth happily, who then added somewhat smuggly, "and if there is time I can go swim with the Dol-fins!"**

**So Freya did up her lined riding jacket over the light and more suitable top for the Southern temperature and placed the riding harness on Aurisalth making sure that it was secure. She then climbed aboard Aurisalth and after they were above the Star Stones on the rim of the Weyr, Freya gave her Dragon the vivid details of Benden Hold and then gave her the command to go between.**

**To be continued...**

**A/N: Sorry that Chapters 2 and 3 are short but this is how we typed them for the time frame we have set ourselves. Please R&R**


End file.
